


A fork to comb your hair

by Cinnamonpowder9506



Category: Nightrunner Series - Lynn Flewelling
Genre: I... ok let me explain, M/M, like ... Seregil found a merman.... or alec found a Human, mermaid au, this is heavily inspired by my little mermaid but no?, this isn't even ...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinnamonpowder9506/pseuds/Cinnamonpowder9506
Summary: When Seregil thought he was going to die, he was saved by a creature he wasn't even sure it was real. A.K.A  Merfolk are real and Seregil made bad choices.
Relationships: Alec í Amasa/Seregil í Korit
Kudos: 2





	A fork to comb your hair

**Author's Note:**

> Unbeta-ed BUT! double checked for errors and typos.
> 
> This is a present for EYLEIN in the secret sakor event in the discord server so. HAPPY HOLIDAYS and I'm sorry for the lack of words :(

The light made his eyes burn. It had taken him all night to get out of that museum, and as he ran, Seregil thought how unlucky he was. The city was waking up; the waves of the sea were less and less sounding, their soft sound interrupted by the cacophony worthy of a Sunday market.

The guards chased him relentlessly, guessing every turn, every stop, every feint. The crown jewels, heavy in his purse, clinked with each step. Thus, it would be impossible to lose his pursuers.

Strangely, Seregil felt elated. Most of his chases were scheduled on Wednesdays or Thursdays so the change was very welcome. He laughed and He heard how guards cursed.

People began to crowd the streets and it became increasingly difficult to distance himself from the guards. If he were caught, he would end up on the gallows. It was not the first time he had committed a crime and his handsome head had a price, a very low one if you asked him. He collided with a fruit cart. Tomatoes went flying to every direction. It was somewhat beautiful. What a pity.

_Uh oh_. In the midst of his exaltation, he did not notice that he had taken a wrong turn.

Damn city, he still wasn't used to it. It was foreign. In the end, it seemed like a bad idea to steal a crown jewel in a city that: a. had not lived for more than a week and b. It was at the top of a cliff.

The stairs seemed to be the only way. He was going back to the museum. Got damn. He ran up as fast he could. People looked at him as if the devil took him but the thing was, if they caught him there, he would be more than dammed. Sweat clung to his body and made his robe terribly uncomfortable. It was not yet clear how he was caught. His plan was foolproof.

Seregil was the best thief in the area. From the mainland, even. For this reason, the unreality of the situation began to disturb him. He was at the gates of the museum and…

_Oh._

More guards. They looked at him smugly. That set him off with a spark of ego. They weren't going to catch him. No sir. First dead before a prisoner.

With what little energy he had left, he ran to the viewpoint. The sea was near. It was possible. Jump.

He fell.

And fell.

The sea was not that close.

Damn.

The impact of the salty, foamy water against his body felt like glass, and then it was fire around him and finally ice. The heavy jewels pulled him to the dark background and his exhausted body did not answer his frantic mind struggled to maintain control over the panic that settled in the corners of his consciousness.

He struggled, with everything he had, tangled in his cloak, his tunic avoiding fluid movements, his bag loaded with jewels. He was still submerged and felt his chest felt like made of fire. He tried unsuccessfully to drop the bag. The jewels were not worth his life.

His body no longer responded and he plunged deeper and deeper.

At the edge of unconsciousness, he made out a trail of multiple blues. He thought it was a good vision to be the last of his life.

The light again hurt his eyes. He carefully lifted his eyelids. He was in a cave. He could hear the ocean. It was hot.

On the shore of that underground lake, there are several gutted fish prepared for a non-existent fire.

Seregil calmly went through all of his belongings. They were there. All of them. From the expensive jewelry to the knife, he always carried on his leg. He was uninjured except for the general pain in his legs and arms and a cut on one of his hands.

He was unharmed.

He couldn’t believe it. What an idiot he had been. Ilar had assured him there would be no complications, and on paper, it seemed like an excellent idea… just like jumping off the cliff. Gods. What an idiot he had been.

What an idiot.

He walked with exhausted parsimony to that shore. He made a quick fire and hurried to put the fish to use. He had eaten two almost without chewing when he was thrown as many in his face.

« what? »

Seregil looked for the assailant. However, he didn't find anyone. He resumed his feeding, a few minutes later a rock fell on his head. Then a shell. Then a crab. Alive

« Enough! Who's there? » Seregil drew his knife and got into attack position. There was a kind of bubbling sound over the water and another shell hit him on the head.

Furious, Seregil sat upon a large stone.

«Get out, whoever it is. Show yourself! »

He stomped on the rock to emphasize his threat, with such bad luck that the slippery rock knocked him off balance and he slipped. Banging his head.

_Oh, watch out sir. The slat is slippery._

The voice sounded muddy, like when a person speaks at the water's edge. Curious, quiet crawled to the shore of the lake. He narrowed his eyes searching and saw it. And he didn't believe it.

On the surface shone, supernaturally, a golden head like wheat ready for harvest, endowed with the bluest eyes he had ever seen in his life, his golden eyebrows were pursed tightly in a gesture of concern? Annoyance? Seregil had no way of knowing, the water covered the rest of the face. He could see, however, that something else was glowing beneath the surface. The creature retreated with every step that Seregil took. It was going to be very difficult to see who it was that was looking at him.

In the back of his conscience, Seregil knew what he was seeing, but his more rational side screamed at him that it was not possible. He had spent a few seasons as a deck attendant on a merchant ship and had heard the rumors but the being in front of him did not look like how the sailors usually described it: There were no snakes instead of hair, it was not a giant and, more importantly, the voice did not sound exotic and exuberant, it did not invite him to the waters to join in a deadly embrace. It was more of a thick and somewhat ugly voice. A Tired

«How are you? » Seregil Asked. Trying to be polite in case the creature could morph into something more… Fitting.

The creature approached him carefully and, on the shore, rose on its elbows exposing its entire face and torso. It was covered with fine bluish scales that, when in contact with the air, mutated into smooth skin tanned by the sun. Under this contrast, the eyes, _Gods,_ the eyes looked much bluer. The color was vibrant. The more the skin dried on the surface, the more the scales disappeared, leaving the skin more visible.

The gills were hidden and Seregil watched in wonder as the creature puff out its chest once, twice, three times in heavy breaths. He seemed nervous too. It was incredible what he had in front of him. Maybe Seregil looked at the creature a minute too long because he was rewarded with a rain of shells.

«Who are you? »

«My name is Seregil, what is your name? »

The creature made a sound quite different from what Seregil expected. Not at all human, it seemed to combine the clicking of decks and the songs of whales. When it saw that the other didn’t understand him, the creature smiled showing teeth that mutated from being pointed to human. How much would it morph if it go far through land?

«On land, I’m Alec. How are you? »

« I'm perfect. Did you save me? »

Alec blinked a few times before sinking completely into the lake. His voice came out muddy again. It was impossible for Seregil to hear something coming out under the water so clearly.

«You seemed to be in trouble. »

In the terrible light of the cave, Alec's figure under the water seemed extremely distorted but that tail - because it was a tail - glowed in beautiful blues and greens. Alec looked at him and, to the other's surprise, his eyes sparkled the same way. He already had gills again and a body full of scales, the skin did not look golden at all. Down there he was all cold tones. Alec looked every inch like a sea creature.

«And I was. Thank you. »

«As far as I knew, humans usually don't fly. I was a little interested when I saw you jump so confidently» Alec climbed up again and leaned back on his elbows to speak closer to Seregil.

He was already changing again. It was still incredible.

«Well, I didn’t assess the height very well. » Seregil smiled at him. All charismatic.

« You also didn't calculate the weight of the metal in your ... that, » he pointed to his bag, «It is really heavy, a lot. »

At that, Seregil had the decency to blush. Gods, he came so close to dying for a - huge - handful of jewels. Maybe he would return them. Maybe not. Alec kept looking at the bag with curiosity and the change in the daylight was making some of the tiaras hidden there shine. Seregil was possessed by a strange wave of tenderness; he went to his bag and took a small crown.

«Do you want to try one on? »

Alec smiled softly and warily pushed himself higher. Seregil put that tiara on Alec’s golden head. Out of the water, Alec looked like a child of the sun. All gold and cinnamon. Those blue eyes looked like the calm sea. Incredible what he had in front of him.

«This looks a bit like what I have in my treasure» Seregil heard him mutter.

«Do you have a treasure? » He asked Alec with bright eyes.

«No! WHO TOLD YOU THAT? »

Seregil laughed.

«I can bring you more things for your treasure if you will allow me."

«Do you have more things like this? How do you get them? »

«I borrowed them»

«Then you steal them. That would explain why you ran like that. »

«Were you watching? » Seregil raised his eyebrows suggestively. « How wonderful. I didn't know I had an admirer. »

Seregil found that he liked - maybe too much - to see the other blush like that.

«Nothing at all. I was doing my own thing when I heard the hubbub in the market and when I found out what had happened I saw you jumping and ... I had to hurry. It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen anyone do. »

«Is it? Is it really in your top? »

«Yes» The merman nodded somewhat annoyed «The most stupid thing. Not the second, not the third. The stupidest thing »

Seregil frowned. Alec was there, almost out of the water. With the tiara still on his head and his golden hair, it was very easy for Seregil to forget what he had said. He could almost let it go, almost.

«Hey, you shouldn't judge someone without hearing the whole story. It also seems to me that your treasure could well be all stolen. »

«I found all of that. I didn't steal anything. »

«It's okay. _Mr. Moral_. Now that we mention how I was running from my kind pursuers, where are we? »

«It is my secret place, » he said and puffed out his chest «The guards of the kingdom will not find us… or you»

«Do you mind then if I stay here for a little while? If they ever find me ... » Seregil made a move to hang himself with an invisible rope. Alec flinched.

«Of course. I wouldn't want a death on my conscience. Maybe I can use that time to teach you to swim properly. »

With a smile, they sealed the deal.

The cave was closed almost entirely, except for a small hole that overlooked the sky and received the sun a little before noon and the moon a little before midnight. Seregil could count his days that way.

Alec would arrive an hour or two after sunrise with fish that Seregil would prepare and cook. Alec had never tasted cooked fish before and the way his eyes widened in wonder did weird things to Seregil's stomach which juggled all through dinner.

On the third day, Seregil learned to fish.

On the fourth, Alec learned to build a fire.

On the fifth, Seregil found a bottle of rum. Alec's face as he tasted the liquor made all the struggles that Seregil had to go through worth it. Somewhere a pirate was being mugged and he didn't even realize it. Or so he hoped. Seregil preferred to be hunted by the kingdom than by pirates. One can escape from the government very easily, as his little journey proved.

On the sixth day, Seregil decided it was time. If he did not return, he takes the risk that Ilar would think that he had escaped with all the loot and, again, preferred to be persecuted by the government. A part of him felt angry that he had to leave that bubble of tranquility. His other part, the more rational, insisted that this could not continue and that he had to go on with his life, sell those jewels in another kingdom and divide his loot before he woke up with a dagger aimed at his neck.

When he told Alec that he should go, the other one completely deflated. He had a radiant smile that slowly descended to a frown.

«But you can't go,» Alec said as he pushed himself out of the water. «What if the guards are still looking for you? What will you do? »

Seregil feigned indignation as he put a hand on his chest.

«You offend me, _talí_ , I can leave the kingdom without problems»

« Are you leaving the kingdom? »

«Sure, that» he signaled the tiara that Alec used to wear almost daily «what you've been playing with, are the crown jewels. »

The sound Alec made was very much like that of an ancient sea animal. Seregil laughed.

They spent the next three days carefully planning their departure. It turned out that this cave was only accessible from the ocean. A small underwater crossing of a few minutes that cost them a whole day of training. Apparently, Seregil did need to learn to swim.

They would have to do the scape at night so it took them another couple of days to adapt Seregil´s eyes to the darkness of the water and the salinity. Alec's ghostly glow was a beacon that Seregil gladly followed night after night until he perfected completely the journey. At least fifteen days had passed since he stupidly jumped off that cliff.

When Seregil was finally ready and they had escaped, it was almost anticlimactic. Easy and smooth, his body slid down that small and narrow space between the cave and the wide ocean. Alec's gorgeous tail was a light guiding each stroke. Seregil's strong arms - for all those hours of training - carried him with insulting ease and his legs carried him in a very short time to areas where he could walk. The jewels were heavy on his thigh but no longer dragged him down oppressively.

The difference between those playful dives and this one was supremely humbling. The power of the ocean was something he should not have doubted at any time. Alec and his luminescence glowed even brighter. Alec saved his life and until now, he had realized the entire extent of it. How difficult it must have been to pass with Seregil through the narrow pass, how difficult was to make that at the correct speed to prevent the other from drowning, to leave him far enough away to prevent him - unconscious - from falling into the water.

A wave of gratitude washed over him. He will do something to reward Alec. He had known for a long time that he would do anything to see Alec blush again, to see him smile. Whatever.

Seregil stuck his head out of the water and breathed. Hard. Alec circled him several times under the surface, its shiny tail looking like a sable. Under the water, Alec’s eyes gleamed in crescents. He was smiling.

«Congratulations,» he said in the same thick voice that accompanies him when he spoke underwater «at least, you will not drown again. »

Seregil smiled at him.

They moved slowly and in quite comfortable silence the few meters that remained to the shore. By the time, it became imminent that Alec could be stranded if they continued the blond stopped him.

«If one day you come back, » he said, still smiling, «Make sure you stop by to see me. You promised me things for my treasure »

Seregil took one of the tiaras out of his bag. He offered it out with a smile. It was beautiful, pale silver, adorned with sapphires and emeralds. It matched perfectly with Alec's eye and tail color. It seemed made for him.

«Consider this a preview» He hastened to affirm when, with a sad face, Alec slung the tiara over his shoulder. «Obviously I'm going back. But you have to promise that you will show me your treasure. »

«I will. First, you will have to learn to swim better. »


End file.
